


Hell Doesn't Freeze

by beneathstarryskies



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Alfie Solomons "Dies", Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Tragedy, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fake Character Death, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Sad Tommy Shelby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24835534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beneathstarryskies/pseuds/beneathstarryskies
Summary: Alfie Solomons is dead, and Adelaide isn't sure how to continue on without him. Then Tommy Shelby himself reaches out to inform her that she may not have to.
Relationships: Alfie Solomons/Original Character(s), Alfie Solomons/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	Hell Doesn't Freeze

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy. All comments and such are super appreciated.

No matter how careful Alfie tries to be, as soon as his warmth recedes, Adelaide's sleepy hands search for him. Most mornings it doesn’t take her long to fall back to sleep, but this morning she doesn’t give up her search for him. Her green eyes crack open a bit to watch Alfie as he pulls on his trousers.

“Will you please come back to bed?” She asks, her voice is still raspy from sleep.

“I’d love to. I can’t,” he answers.

She lets out a heavy sigh, “Please.”

He sits on the edge of the bed to pull on his boots. The morning light shines across the floor in golden streaks. He feels the blankets shift as she pushes them off of her. Without looking he knows she’s crawling across the bed, and a small smirk plays on his lips. She wraps her arms around him. Her hands come to rest on his chest, and she pushes her legs around his waist.

“Stay,” she mutters as her head rests on his back. He brings her hands up to his mouth to place soft kisses along her fingertips.

“You make it fuckin’ hard to resist you sometimes,” he chuckles.

“Then don’t,” she suggests. “You deserve to stay in bed.”

Hesitant hands continue reaching for him as he stands up. He strokes his beard as he attempts to remember exactly what he was doing.

“What’s gotten into you?” He smirks.

“I want you to stay in bed,” she pouts. Her hands find him and she attempts to tug him towards her once again. He leans down and leaves a soft kiss on her lips.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promises before finishing up the buttons on his shirt.

She sits on her knees in the middle of the bed watching him with her arms crossed. While he finishes getting dressed, it takes a great deal of effort not to surrender to her pouting.

Adelaide doesn’t usually make much of a fuss about wanting his attention. She lets him come and go as his work requires. Having a few more moments of his attention isn’t unfair of her to ask, it’s not possible today. There’s too much going on that she would only worry about if he told her.

He doesn’t want her to worry about him. In fact that was one of the reasons he’d taken so long to engage in a relationship with her, and why they’re still not married. Alfie fights his guilt every day, although he never voices it. Adelaide is a smart girl, but she's not great at thinking of her own well being. It would be easy for her to marry some boring man with money rather than shacking up with a dangerous gangster. He feels selfish for not wanting to break things off, yet he still hopes she’ll see the time she wastes with him on her own. He pushes the guilt down when she lets out a deep sigh that catches his attention.

“You’re being a brat,” he teases.

She smiles now, “I know. I thought it would work.”

He sits down beside her on the bed, and places a scratchy kiss on her cheek. She lets out a sigh knowing that she’s defeated.

“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he cups her cheek and turns her face towards him. She waits for him to say something else, but he doesn’t. His eyes seem to be studying her face.

She raises an eyebrow before closing the space between them to pull him into a kiss. For a moment he sinks into her touch, her fingers move to caress his beard before moving to tangle in his hair. She’s almost won her cause when her tongue teases between his lips. Alfie forces himself to pull away from her.

“I’ve gotta go,” he whispers.

“Fine,” she sighs. “It’s for the best. Jane is coming for tea.”

“She fuckin’ hates my guts,” he laughs as he stands up. “Alright, I’ve gotta go love.”

“Be safe,” she tries to smile as he leaves the bedroom, but it's a half hearted attempt at best.

She hears him summon his dog, Cyril. She hears the two of them walk down the stairs, followed by the sound of the front door closing.

* * *

Adelaide isn’t sure whether her chest hurts from stress or the cold air hitting her as she stands on the front porch.

“Alfie’s dead,” the words fell off her lips in a whisper. She thought saying them aloud would help her mind wrap around the meaning. Instead a choked laugh follows them.

The poor boy tasked with delivering the news to her looks down at his feet while toying with his hat. He's avoided making eye contact the whole time. She watched the bony fingers tug at a loose string on the hat. The punchline to what she assumed to be a terrible joke never came in the silence that follows.

“You’re not joking,” she whispers finally.

The boy shakes his head, “I’m afraid not.”

“What happened?” She asks finally.

“Thomas Shelby shot him,” the poor boy finally delivers the punchline. As soon as she thought there wasn’t one, here it comes.

She should’ve been able to guess it would be Thomas-fucking-Shelby. Ever since Thomas and Alfie met, the two were always at odds. Yet no matter how much she loved Alfie, she couldn’t deny that he betrayed Thomas on whims. It was inevitable that one of them would kill the other eventually. Things could never go on as chaotic as they’d been.

“Who sent you?” She asks, not sure why it was important to her.

“Mr. Shelby,” the boy looks down. “He wanted to make sure you didn’t hear it in an unpleasant way.”

Adelaide laughs bitterly, “This is pleasant, of course.”

“Addie, the tea is getting cold,” Jane calls from the living room.

“I am sorry for interrupting your tea,” the boy says, still avoiding her eyes.

“It’s not the tea I’ll be mourning,” she whispers.

She closes the door before the boy can say anything else. Her heart pounds as she walks back towards the living room. Jane still sits on the sofa with her legs crossed.

“You should go,” Adelaide’s voice is tense as she tries to keep hold of her own emotions.

“What’s wrong?” Jane asks.

“Alfie is dead,” Adelaide answers finally. "Shot.”

She can see the mixed emotions in Jane’s eyes. Jane and their mother were never approving of Adelaide’s relationship with Alfie. He was a brash criminal who lacked the kind of dignity they respected. Simply being connected to him put Adelaide in danger. Perhaps the most pertinent issue in the eyes of their mother at least, was the lack of marriage. Jane looks down at her hands, obviously unsure of what to say about the situation. She’d never had much affection for Alfie, and had often spoken of the day danger caught up to him.

“You should leave,” Adelaide tells Jane before turning to walk up the stairs.

Jane’s footsteps follow her up the stairs, “Addie, please talk to me about it.”

“I just need to be alone,” Adelaide insists as she closes the bedroom door.

“Okay, well, I am at least going to stay over.”

“Whatever you want, just leave me alone.”

She sits down on the bed. Her fingers trace over the sheets where he had slept beside her just last night. The smell of him still lingers, but she knows within the next night it will be gone.

The strength she’d attempted to display begins to disappear as she wraps herself in the blankets. She pulls his pillow against her, and buries her face into it. She breathes him in, and then releases the breath in a muffled scream. Her rage and pain finally released from her tightened chest. The pillow catches the tears she lets freely fall, her body shaking uncontrollably now.

The memories of their last night together play over in her mind. The feelings of his beard scratching against her skin while kissing his way down her body. His beard always left her skin red and sensitive for the warm touches to come. His strong, rough hands clinging to her hips with each thrust. His breath warm against her skin while asking her if anyone else could ever make her feel so good. Seeking approval from her as though he ever truly needed approval from anyone. She tries again to push the memories out of her mind, but they keep coming like the tide.

She remembers feeling as though something was off with him, but not knowing if it was good or bad. He’d been slower to argue with her than usual. His hands were more tender, his lips taking more time to taste her. He’d taken great care to leave a mark between her breasts. He took his time. In the bath his hoarse voice whispered how much he loved her. Then this morning, he’d been so soft. Usually Alfie had a tendency for impatience, she’d never imagined him letting her be a brat for so long.

_ Did he somehow know? _

In the coming weeks, she would find herself becoming more and more overwhelmed. Visits by a series of shady lawyers detailing the money he’d left for her dragged on. Often with insulting offers of advice on how a young unwed woman would be able to keep such a fortune. As though she would be foolish with the money, as though there was much to be foolish with. It takes ages for her to finally sign the paperwork. If he’d been around to hear some of the comments made, his hands would stay covered in blood. Luckily, she discovered he did have his affairs in order. It’d be foolish to be in his line of work with his penchant for making enemies to not. Despite seeming not to fear death, he at least made sure everything was ready for when it finally found him.

Jane had been eager to help settle everything. Adelaide knows that to Jane this was a welcome ending to a relationship that should’ve never been. Their mother felt much the same way about it, although when Alfie was alive they’d never said so. They were afraid of him and afraid for Adelaide. She’d never been afraid with him, but she finds herself being afraid now.

She’s afraid of how quickly the world moved on. How little his death affected everyone who wasn’t her. His crew fell in with other gangs if they could, but many dispersed to find legal work. The Peaky Blinders began taking even more of a role in things, spreading like a virus now that Alfie is gone. She could spot them everywhere now.

Truthfully she was starting to wonder if he’d ever existed outside of her own imagination.

* * *

Alfie Solomons is not a man prone to feelings or acts of tenderness. His demeanor almost always resembles the slumped posture of a mad dog ready to attack. Words fall from his lips in a gruff tone, often spaced out with curses. He commits acts of brutality with such nonchalance it’s shocking even to him at times. There was never much of a reason for him to be in touch with any kind of feelings. Yet when he wakes up at Margate, his first thoughts are of Adelaide. He mutters her name softly, only to be told by the doctor that there’s no one named Adelaide present.

“She is home,” Alfie mutters. “At home. I need…protect her.”

“You won’t be going anywhere for a while I am afraid,” the doctor says before injecting Alfie with a sedative.

“Where’s my fucking dog?” Alfie asks, “Take my dog home.”

“There’s no dog,” the doctor says before Alfie’s eyes close again.

He forgets he’s been shot as his dreams take him back to their bedroom. The smell of lavender surrounds him as he sees her walk across the room with a small smile on her full lips. She’s wearing that blue silk robe he loves so much. She sits down on the edge of the bed beside him, and her hands rest on his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Alfie whispers. “I shouldn’t have left. I should’ve stayed with you.”

She lets out a chime of a laugh. Her freckled nose crinkles as she shakes her head, “Did Alfie Solomons just apologize? Has Hell frozen over?”

Everything starts blurring around the edges. Her features begin disappearing a bit at a time. He reaches for her, to keep a hold of the dream.

“I’ve gotta go love,” she echoes the last words he said to her.

Everything disappears. He assumes this is Hell, and it’s not quite frozen.

* * *

_ Adelaide Swanson, _

_ I am coming into London on Friday afternoon. While I know I am likely the last person you ever want to speak to, we need to talk. It’s very important that we do so in person. I won’t bring anyone else with me, and I trust you will not alert anyone. We need to talk about Alfie. _

_ -Thomas Shelby _

_ Dear Mr. Shelby, _

_ There’s no reason to worry about an ambush. If I see you, I will shoot you myself. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Adelaide Swanson _

_ PS. Where is Cyril? _

_ Ms. Swanson, _

_ I will be arriving at the house at 5:30. I do ask for at least ten minutes of your time before you begin shooting. _

_ -Thomas Shelby _

_ PS. Cyril is safe and sound. _

* * *

Thomas Shelby arrives at exactly 5:30 as promised. He knocks on the door. As he waits for an answer he finishes off his cigarette, and then takes off his hat. Through the window he sees her coming down the stairs. Adelaide’s green eyes are cold when she opens the door.

Alfie had spoken of her before, when they’d been a couple drinks in and both let their guard down. He’d said she was beautiful, but Thomas is still surprised by how beautiful. She looks younger than Alfie, but there’s no signs of naivety in her eyes. Knowing Alfie's disposition made it easy to assume she had to at least be rough around the edges, and a bit scarred. Yet, she looks like a banker’s wife.

“I suppose threats don’t work on a man like you,” she quips.

“Not much.”

She moves to allow him inside. There are boxes spread out throughout the house.

“Don’t mind the mess,” she says before closing the door. “I’m moving.”

“Were you evicted?” He asks.

“No. I can’t stand staying here without him.”

“Been getting the money I sent?”

She laughs, “Yeah. I’ve been getting it.”

A small table in the corner of the living room has three envelopes containing checks from Thomas. She points to it and then shrugs.

“I don’t need your money, Mr. Shelby. Alfie made sure I had enough money. Although having him here would be better,” she sits down in the only chair in the living room. She lights a cigarette. “Your ten minutes has started, by the way.”

Thomas smirks, there’s that toughness he’d been expecting. She takes a deep drag off the cigarette while she waits for him to begin speaking. He notices the gun sitting on the mantle.

“I received a letter from Alfie,” Thomas explains. “Apparently, he’s not a man who is easy to kill. I shot him in the head, and yet he wrote me a letter wanting me to bring his dog to Margate.”

Adelaide’s face goes pale, “You’re lying.”

“I’m afraid not.” He pulls the envelope out of his jacket, and passes it to her. She takes the letter from him, eagerly reading Alfie’s scrawled handwriting. She’s careful not to get her hopes up too much at first.

“Listen, you shouldn’t tell anyone he’s alive. Nobody needs to know, but I thought you should.”

Thomas turns to leave when tears begin rolling off her cheeks. He knows better than to attempt to comfort her.

“Thank you,” she says before he walks out the door.

* * *

Adelaide goes to the address on the front of the envelope. Her heart pounds as she stands in front of the door. She doesn’t know what she’s more afraid to discover he’s alive or to find that she’s been led astray. If he’s alive, she must deal with why he never reached out. If he’s not alive, she has to be afraid of why Thomas would lead her here.

She knocks on the door three times. There’s a bit of silence before an older woman answers the door. She’s wearing a uniform that shows she’s a maid.

“Hello, I’m looking for Alfie," Adelaide stammers.

“Is he expecting you?”

“Um,” she takes a shaky breath. “He's not.”

“Stay here,” the woman says before closing the door.

Adelaide moves to look into the window, and her heart pounds as spots him sitting in a chair by a window. Every nerve in her body springs into action. He’s reading a book, as usual. The maid whispers something to him, and he stands up in haste. Without caring anymore about politeness, she pushes the door open.

She collides with him in the landing below the stairs. Her arms wrapping around him. She buries her face against his chest, and takes deep breaths of his scent. His arms wrap around her. Sobs shake through her as the reality of Alfie being right here with her.

“I can’t believe it,” she sobs, “You’re alive. You’re here!”

“Listen, pet, I’m so happy to see you,” he responds. “But there’s a reason I haven’t reached out.”

She tries to lift her head to look at him, but his hand comes to rest on the back of her head to stop her.

“Don’t look at me,” he says in a harsh whisper. “I’m an ugly sight. I’m in a bad way.”

“Alfie, please.” she loosens her embrace and attempts to move away from him. He still holds her in place.

“Don't beg," he chuckles. "You'll regret seeing me this way." He moves his hand to cover her eyes before letting her stand up straight.

“Alfie, this is ridiculous. I’ve thought you were dead for so long. I want to see you.”

“No you don’t. You need to remember me for how I was. You know, back when I was pretty.”

She laughs, “When was that?”

“You think that’s funny, huh?”

“Of course.”

“Please Alfie,” she reaches up to move the hand covering her eyes, “Let me see you.”

He resists her attempts to move his hand from her eyes at first. No matter how much she loves him he knows there will be a look of fear or disgust on her face when she sees him. Half of his face is now scarred from Tommy’s gunshot. His eye took a good deal of damage, leaving it lifeless looking. He doesn’t know if he could deal with seeing her feelings change. Still, she tugs at his fingers. He lets his hand fall, but he looks down as he awaits her reaction.

She lets out a gasp, and he expects to hear her footsteps recede away from him. Instead she closes the gap, and places a soft kiss on his cheek. He’s still Alfie, and having learned what life is like without him she’s not picky on what condition she gets him back in. Her hands cup his before pulling him into a kiss.

He kisses her back, a hint of hesitation still lingering from him. Sure, right now she’s still happy to see him. But will she be willing to look at him day after day? He pushes this thought away as her hands soothe through his beard before coming to rest on his chest. He deepens the kiss, wanting to enjoy having her with him right now. Her tongue is silk against his. Their eagerness becomes more plain with each movement.

She pulls away with a small smirk, “So, what does a girl have to do to be shown the bedroom in this place?”

Their hands stay intertwined as he walks her up the stairs to his bedroom. Yet all she wants is to be close to him again. To soak in the presence she’s missed so much. Obviously none of this had anything to do with her, or else he would’ve turned her away at the door.

He leads her into a bedroom with a large bed in the middle. A few medicine bottles still sit on the nightstand. She releases his hand to walk around the room for a moment while pulling off her coat. He watches her, trying to decipher her thoughts.

Despite all the time he’s spent here, he’s done very little to make it feel personal. There’s a stack of books beside the bed. She inspects the bottles on the nightstand, noting they seem to all be pain medicine.

“Does it still hurt?” She asks.

He shrugs, “Not much. Hurt pretty bad at first.”

“Why didn’t you contact me?” She sits on the bed, and kicks off her shoes.

“I was hoping you might have moved on,” he sits down beside her, “Which it’s not too late for.”

She takes his hand and laughs. Her nose crinkles in that way he loves.

“It’s a bit late for all that,” she smirks.

“I’m serious, Addie. You don’t have to be with me anymore. I'm giving you an out,” he looks down at their intertwined fingers. Of course he wants her to leave and find someone else. Even more so, he wants her to stay with him.

“You know I’m not going to do that,” she insists.

“I know,” he smirks now. “I shouldn’t be glad, but I am.”

“I suppose I could be a bit angry at you though,” she leans over to kiss her cheek. “I suppose I would be if I hadn’t missed you so much.”

He pulls her onto his lap. She plants kisses along his cheeks before landing on his soft lips she’d missed so much. She loosen his shirt before starting on the buttons. He pushes up her dress, exposing her thighs. His hands rest on them as their lips continue moving together in harmony. It feels as though no time between them has passed. She could’ve just as easily spent the morning begging him to stay in bed, and he could’ve just arrived home. She pushes his shirt off his shoulders and tosses it to the side. Greed takes over as she moves her hands along his body, wanting to feel every inch of his skin beneath her hands. He lets out a groan when she grinds her hips against his crotch. She leans down to leave a trail of kisses along his collarbone and chest before standing up.

His eyes soak her in as she pulls her dress over her head. She stands before him in her slip and stockings. She begins rolling her stockings down her legs. She kicks them off to the side. Then she takes off the slip, and tosses it into the pile with the rest of the clothes. He reaches out to take her hands, and he pulls her back to him.

His calloused hands massage her breasts before moving along her abdomen. She closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her. She never thought he would touch her again, and now her emotions are threatening to spill. One of his hands slides between her thighs, teasing her clit before dipping into her wet entrance. She lets out a soft moan as he begins working her with his hands. His fingers pump in and out of her at an agonizing slow pace. He leaves soft kisses along her abdomen, his beard tickling her skin.

She opens her eyes again to look at him. Still she’s in awe that he’s actually here, her hands run through his soft hair. A tingling ball begins tensing in her core. Her fingernails scratch lightly against his scalp. His fingers recede from her, earning a soft whine from her lips. He grabs her waist and pulls her onto the bed. She lets out a surprised giggle, only to gasp when he buries his face between her thighs. His tongue circles her clit.

“Fuck, Alfie,” she moans.

“You taste as good as I remember,” he growls before returning to his ministrations.

His tongue continues on her clit while he dips his fingers back into her entrance. It doesn’t take long for her climax to begin building once again. Her toes curl as the tension in her core becomes almost unbearable as the pace of his fingers quicken. She grasps the sheets between her fingers as her orgasm shudders through her body. He continues fingering her and licking up her juices until the pulsing of her walls subsides.

“Fuck,” she whispers.

Alfie stands up to unbuckle his pants, finally releasing his hard cock. He kicks his pants to the side before crawling onto her, leaving a trail of kisses as he does so. She can taste herself on his lips when he kisses her.

He rubs the head of his cock against her wet slit. She raises her hips, urging him to enter her. He can’t help but find her eagerness amusing, as it’s never changed. He sits up on his knees between her thigh, a small smirk playing on his lips as he continues teasing her. She shifts to be closer to him, and lifts her hips again.

“How can you tease me so?”

“You make it so easy,” he smirks.

His eyes soak her in while his hands soothe along her abdomen. He traces his fingertips along the soft swell of her breasts. He teases her nipples between his fingers until they're hard and sensitive.

“Do you want me to beg?” She groans.

“Of course," he smirks.

One of his hands soothes along her neck feeling her heightened pulse beneath his fingers.

“Please,” she whines. “Please fuck me.”

With a satisfied smile he pushes inside of her, relishing the soft moan she lets out when he does so. He gives her a moment to adjust to him before pulling all the way out, then he thrusts inside of her. She holds onto him as he begins setting a faster pace, pulling him to be on top of her.

Both of them are feeling greedy for the other. Sloppy kisses press against any bit of bare skin within reach. Her fingernails dig into his back as his pace quickens. He becomes relentless in his thrusting. She whispers his name over and over, reminding herself he’s really there. His heart beats against her chest, and the moans coming from him fill her ears. Tears begin pricking her eyes. She becomes a bit overwhelmed with the mix of pleasure and emotions flooding her. He notices, and stops thrusting.

“What’s wrong?”

She smiles, “Nothing is wrong. I’m just happy. Please don’t stop.”

He shakes his head before capturing his lips with hers. He begins thrusting again. Their tangled lips move together in perfect synchronization as his thrusts begin getting faster. Her orgasm begins to build again in her core. He brings one of her legs around his waist so he can thrust even deeper inside of her.

“You feel so good,” he groans against her neck. “Such a good girl.”

He reaches down to stroke her clit in sloppy circles. It takes no time for this to push her over the edge, and the pulsing of her walls around him urges his climax along with her. They ride out the highs together with sloppy kisses and words of praise.

He moves to lie down beside her. She snuggles against his chest, her fingers tracing all the scars on his body while they lay in silence. The only thing she could hear was the sound of his breathing.

“I should’ve stayed with you that day,” he whispers. “And I should’ve contacted you. I’m a damn fool.”

She looks up at him, “Is that the beginning of an apology?”

He chuckles, “It’s as close as you’re getting.”

“Hm, so Hell isn’t frozen over yet.”

She rests her head back on his chest. Alfie runs his fingers through her red curls until he finds sleep tugging at the corners of his eyes. He waits until she’s asleep before he allows himself to give into his own sleepiness. For the first time in months, he doesn’t dream about missing her.


End file.
